Internal-combustion engine.



CI LA FONTAINE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JULYB, 1914. RENVYED OCT. 7,1915.

1 l 1 A63, Patented May 2, 1916.

" Unrrnn STATES PATENT orrron.

CHARLES LA FONTAINE, OF BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 V V I ROLAND W. SMITH, OF BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY.

INTERNALGOMEUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed July 6, 1914,'seria1'1vo. 849,369. Renewed October 7, 1915. seria'rrvo. 54,688.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that LjCHARLns LA FoN- TAINE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at'Bowling Green; county of Warren, State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improve 'ment's in Internal-Combustion Engines, of

which the following-is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide an engine in which the power of a reciproeating piston will be transmitted directly to a shaft extending parallel with the piston rod and without the use of intermediate cranks. f

In the accompanying drawings, Figure'l is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a detail View, on. an enlarged scale, of the connection between one of the piston rods shown in Fig. 1 and the drum on the power shaft; Fig. 3 is a more or less diagrammatic plan illustrating the contour of the cam for a complete cycle of operation.

Referring to the drawings A A designate end plates of a supporting frame, shown as "cylindrical form and mounted upon a base B.' ,On the end A of the supporting frame are mounted a plurality of power cylinders C, the rods of the pistons in which project through suitable openings in the frame member A. -To said projecting portions of the piston rods are secured cross heads F which engage guides G forming cylinder.

and the nature of the engagement between.

the-piston rods and said drum reduces the wear of the several parts to a minimum.

' The several sections of the irregular cam corresponding to the suction, compression, explosion, and exhaust strokes of each pis;

ton may be readily proportioned and shaped to lnsure the required directioniand extent of movement of the piston and'transmit the maximum power thereof to'the shaft K. r In Fig; 3 the section N represents that portion of the cam which is affected by the explosion stroke of the engine, the same extend ing substantially throughout the length of the drum L. The section traversed by the rollers I, J, during the exhaust stroke of the piston is represented at 0, said section preferably extending nearer the frame end A.

than the corresponding end of'the'section N to insure'that all of the products'of combustion will be expelled, from the engine The section P corresponds to the suction stroke, the length thereof being depart of the main frame and connecting theMterminedby the amount of gas which it is end members A, A thereof.

Ona shaft K journaled in suitable bearings in the supporting frame, and between the ends A A, is mounted a drum L which is provided with an exterior circumferential cam. As shown this cam M is formed by a pair of radial projecting ribs, the adjacent faces of which are oppositely inclined or beveled, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. From Fig. 2 it-will also be seen that the wall of the cam adj acent the end A extends radially from the drum L a distance less than the corresponding projection of the cam member adjacent the ,jframe end A. Each piston rod cross head F \is provided with a pin or stud H on which is mounted a pair of anti-friction contact rolls 1, J. The relative arrangement of the two con tact rolls 1, J and the members of the. cam M is-such that the roll J will continuously contact with the surface of the cam adjacent the desired shallconstitute an explosive charge; and the section Q represents the compression stroke being usually shorter than the sections N, O, P.

It will be readily understood that the proportions of the cam corresponding to the several stages of a complete cycle of operation can be readily varied as desired and vention is more or less conventional.

By inclining the walls of the cam as shown and making the rollers I, J, in the form of frustums, any grinding between the rollers and cam surfaces is avoided. The rollers maybe of any suitable type, having if desired anti-friction bearings be tween them and the supporting stud H. It will beseen that the two rollers I, J, each contact continuously with the cooperating surface of the cam, whereby each is only caused to rotate in one direction, the two the illustration of the embodiment of the inof different diametens,

from the drum than the other roll.

rollers being alternatively operative'as the turning movement of the drum causes a shifting of the operative contact between it and the piston rod from groove tothe others For example the larger. roller I will constitute the connection between the drum and piston rod during the power, exhaust and compression strokes of J constitutes such a cycle while the roller or suctlon connection during the intake stroke. I v

' It will be evident that the invention is not in its broadest aspects limited to the particular construction of the embodiment -selected for purposes of illustration but in-' cludes any modifications thereo1 that are within the scope of the following claims.

engaging the cam, the with the cam at agreater 2. In'an engine, the combination of a rotary drum provided with two exterior circumferential ribs forming an irregular cam-way, one of said ribs projecting radially from the surface of the drum to a greater extent than the other, a power cylinder, a piston therein havingits rod arranged to reciprocate across said cam-way,

and two rolls mounted on a common axis on one side of thecam 3. In an engine, the

cumferential irregular cam, having two oppositely inclined surfaces extendingdifferent radial distances from the body of the drum, a power cylinder, a piston in the cylinder having its rod adapted to reciprocate across the cam on the drum, and two frustum shaped rollsmounted on the piston rod at different distances from the drum to respectively engage opposite surfaces of said cam.

4. In an engine, the combination of a 1'0- tary drum, oumferential irregular cam, having two oppositely inclined surfacesiextending different radial distances from the body of the drum, a power cylinder, a piston in the cylinder. having its rod adapted to reciprocate across the cam'on the drum, and two frustum-shaped rolls, the diameter of the smaller end of one roll being longer than the diameter of the larger end of the other, mounted to turn about piston rod, and respectively engaging opposite surfaces of said cam, the engagement of the larger roll and cam being at a greater radial distance from the drum than the engagement of. theother roll and cam.

CHARLES LA FONTAINE. Witnesses:

ROLAND W. SMITH, OroL RAY THoMA -s.

I combination of a rotary drum provided with an exterior C1I- a common axis on the provided with an exterior cir- 

